The none exciting adventures of a busyish, works in Primary School and loves it, bog standard Mum, who fast ran out of her thirties...straight into her 40s which frankly so far...have been RUBBISH. She demands a refund.

Tuesday, 23 February 2016

My HG has declared that he could eat the full box! Turns out they are not that sickly. I have my own suspicions!

Here's the magazine front

Here's mine!

The toffee layer was made with three bags of dairy toffee according to the recipe, next time I will only use two! Also I omitted the peanut butter from the top layer of chocolate which is why I think it cracked on cutting. But on the whole I'm impressed!!

First day back at work was like we'd never had a week off!

My class were doing their Big Write from before the holidays. I went to help my usual suspects. They were working on a leaflet, using publisher, to advertise the new community park they'd devised the week earlier on a planning sheet. One soul had had a difficult lesson during the planning and then was absent on the last Friday when the rest of the class worked on their designs.

Me: what's wrong

Child: I don't know what to do

Me: let's have a look on your plan

Child: I'd rather you didn't.

Me: come on, it'll help with this task

Child: ok, but be prepared to be disappointed!!!!!!

Admittedly, there wasn't much to go on, but we cracked on regardless! I said

Any work done is good and I'm never disappointed! I got beamed at!

By 'eck it's cold this morning. Thermal knickers needed! Thanks for all the comments on yesterday's blog, I'll go reply in a bit xx

Monday, 22 February 2016

With a heavy heart, an overly dramatic sigh, dragging of heels and a sulk on, it's back to work for me!

Maybe the woman doth protest too much!!! I do like my job, I adore the children as well you know, I just like being at home more. However, the work bit pays for the craft bit and the bills bit etc so it's an 8am start today.

I've just put the chocolate topping on a tray of Billionaire's Shortbread. Think Millionaire's Shortbread highly calorific? Well it's practically diet food compared to what I was making yesterday!

It's a recipe from this month's Sainsbury's magazine. I don't normally buy it, but the glossy photo of the Billionaires Bars I think they call them coupled with the fact it was only a pound meant it went through the till with the rest of my shopping.

I then went to Aldi for the few ingredients I didn't have in.

Roses were not on the list, but my friend had brought me a sweet spray of carnations and I've only got big vases so I relaxed my no cut flowers in the house rule and got some Fairtrade roses for £3.

I'll post a photo of the recipe and the finished product tomorrow as I can't slice it yet.

But first you have a layer of chocolate melted with some peanut butter, should have been smooth - I already had crunchy in, so that's what I used.

Next I made, for the first time, nougat, which topped the chocolate with some salted peanuts.

Next you make a toffee layer. The easiest toffee layer I ever made.

Melt toffees and cream

And this morning, it's had a final layer of melted chocolate added.

I don't think this will be sickly AT ALL.

The recipe says it makes 30 bars. My recipe will yield 60!

At 30 bars, the recipe states that each one is nigh on 400 calories!!!

I think essentially, I've made a Marathon! If there's any young uns reading - that's a Snickers.

Wednesday, 17 February 2016

The day started as per. Up with the larks to see the menfolks off for the day. I'd stripped my bed and cleaned the kitchen by 7am. The birds were fed, not that I've seen many lately. I had the day to myself. I caught up with Stella. It has to be one of my all time favourite TV shows. I adore the characters in it. Especially Aunty Brenda. I'm missing Dai Davis this series though. I also cracked on with a couple of episodes of The Walking Dead. It's a new to me boxset, seeing as I'd finished the enjoyable romp through Falling Skies with Dr Carter offa ER.

I just love telly! I have it on whilst I knit and stitch! I finished the waistband of the HG jumper front and I'm ready to crack on with the main part.

I've done some more of the poppy. I cleared the dining room table of the mountain of crap that had been dumped on it. I baked a loaf of bread. I used the recipe that was in the half price magazine I got last night.

Just a basic white loaf.

Easy.

Proving

Shaping

Doubling

Baking

Eating! Nom

I have remade the bed - with help from Mr 18. It's a superking size feather quilt. I've the full fat version on at the minute. It's one of those that is a summer/Autumn one that separates/joins together. And feathers are REALLY heavy yanno. Also I get all in a tiz with my previously lamented T-Rex short arms, as I pathetically try and shake it smooth!

But it's full on warm luxury because I've got a full flannellette quilt cover on and a flannellette bottom sheet! Cosy and sumptuous. I need it. No radiator in our room and the fireplace makes for a cold room! So tonight I'll have a bath before I get in it for that 'nothing in the world can beat climbing into a clean fresh bed' feeling!

I've washed some lovely gifts of fabric pieces that are destined for teddies and things. My iPhone actually wrote teddies and thongs!

A TOTALLY different picture that paints!

My good friend is calling tomorrow so I will be up with the larks to bake a cake!

Lots of love from

Rachel *Just watching Sport Relief bake off before I go get in the bath then settle down in my warm comfy clean bed sheets with a book I got off my ma in law, who got it off a lady, who got it off a lady etc * Radiostar xxx

Tuesday, 16 February 2016

Many people, not in Education, think we, in Education, have too many holidays. Well I DISAGREE! These holidays are needed! I would go ( more ) insane if it wasn't for half term breaks!

The HG is still at work, so the alarm still goes off at 6am.

Monday - got up, made the menfolks' lunches. Emptied the dishwasher etc etc, tidied round and had a go at the tapestry.

I confess it's not great! I decided on tent stitch. However, from the top, the first row went ok, the second and third were ordinary half cross stitch. Then you can see a bit where I got muddled and pulled the wool back and forth. The last couple of lines are getting there, but I need to try to be consistent with my tension.

Then I went out with my sister and two of her offspring. She made me laugh when she told me how her extremely clever six year old couldn't wait to be in the Juniors. When asked why, thinking it'd be to do with the teachers, or the harder work, the equipment etc. He replied, that when you are in the Juniors you get three sausages at lunch time! He thinks it most unfair that infants only get two!

The weather was glorious. Clear, bright blue sky and unbroken sunshine. Most springlike. It was so lovely and warm on the front and in my lounge. Inspired by the weather, I thought I'd garden a bit.

However, went I went out the back to put some slug pellets down round my delphs, they were bouncing straight back up off the rock hard soil. There was solid ice on my back grass! Blooming freezing! I quickly scuttled back inside!

Still, the thought was there!

It was lovely to make tea and eat it at tea time rather than late evening.

I'd got a Gudjyrati kit from M&S - it made the most wonderfully fragrant chicken curry. As usual I cooked enough rice for the 43 of us. I've some cold leftovers in the kitchen - I think I can feed the birds with it. I need to consult Mr Google on that.

Later on we went to bed with a double bill of DCI Banks. The HG seems to be watching an awful lot of police/murder/crime programmes lately. Should I be worried? If you don't hear from me for a while, please contact Vera, then she can interrogate him in her awfully tinny Geordie accent as to where I am!

Day 2 has been good so far. Got up at 6am. Made the butties. Took my 'old lady creaky joint' supplements and got back to some knitting, whilst I caught up with Stella. I love that programme. Aunty Brenda is a phenomenal character - she's my absolute favourite! Di Botcher who plays her has tweeted me!!

I had to restart the waist band of the front of the HG's jumper. I'd done it on the wrong sized blinking needles!

6 more rows to do. 138 stitches. Takes me ages to do a row!

Then I decided to hoover upstairs and chose to hoover tool the ceilings where the cobwebs were like those fake ones people put up at Halloween. I wish I hadn't. There's a part of the ceiling where it rained in that needs repainting and when I Hoovertooled it, I got showered in flaky paint! FFs what a mess! Plus I got some stuck in my eye. Right on the blue bit.

Cue red watery eye. It hurt. But the fleck of paint wouldn't budge. The home early HG tried to get it out, but Everytime he came close with the pointy corner of tissue, I'd be backing away! It got fraught! "Keep still" he'd order, "I YAM" I giggled!! In the end I had to leave it and went for my lunch date with a red blotchy face and winking right eye!

My friend and I put the world to rights in the bistro pub she'd bought a £25 of food for £12.50 voucher for. The views across the bay to the Lake District were stunning ( sorry no photo ) and as we were sat upstairs, the lovely waitress was up n down to the kitchen like the proverbial bride's nighty, as we asked a billion questions about the menu!

We both had a starter of garlic mushrooms. I have stinky breath now apparently! She then had chilli and I had fish n chips!

Nice small portions that were just right!

We had such a laugh about stuff and nonsense. It was well needed.

Back home, I did a bit more stitching.

I'm quite pleased! Though a floor stand would greatly speed me up! I fully reckon that it'll be my birthday present off the HG! Watch this space. I'm so spoilt!

It's now 5.04pm and I'm going to put the sausages on for the menfolks's easy 'sausage, oven chips and beans' tea. I don't want anything. Still full from lunch. But I do have this on the go in the slow cooker.

It's a recipe I nicked off Lovely Grey

It's smelling good.

I'll turn it off later tonight then de meat the bones - a lovely yellow ticketed £2 bargain - corn fed free range organic! And it'll do for a quick mid week roast tomorrow with leftovers to go into soup or a sandwich. I am quite frugal with chickens but it's only diddy and I dare say there's bloggers out there who could get a fortnight's meals from it for a family of 8. But I'll not be boiling the carcass as 1. It's been slow cooker end

2. My freezer is FULL and

3. I just can't be arsed!

I'm hoping for a full night's sleep tonight. I have been waking up at 4am ish for wees of epic proportions. When I woke up this morning I'd been dreaming about Barry ( the school budgie ) swimming in his cage! I didn't know budgies can swim!!!

Saturday, 13 February 2016

Many many moons ago, (19/05/15) so eight moons technically speaking, we went to worship at the altar of Dunelm and bought new bay curtain poles to replace our ancient, brittle, fragile and failing Swish pulley corded curtain and pelmet track. It's served us well! It's been repaired now too many times. And despite declarations of 'it'll only take me an hour or so' by the HG, those magical 60 or so minutes had yet to materialise...

Until this morning!

I think it's my Valentine's present!

The old track is down, the new pole is up. Yes, it did only take the HG an hour or so. It took me considerably longer to unhook the dusty curtains AND linings, stuff the metres of 90 X 90 cotton into the washer, dither about pegging out v shoving them in the dryer, opt for the dryer but bitterly regret it because the fecking things kept just rolling into one big ball, iron metres of curtains AND linings, put hooks back in to curtains and linings and then hand them back to the HG to put back up - much crinkling occurred. However, I have to say, betwixt the two of us, my window area ( the HG cleaned them too ) looks lovely!

We honestly wondered if the curtains would make it through the washing process. We expected ribbons of shredded material erupting from the washer. ( By the way, I'm laughing my head off here about the way I'm writing about my curtains!!!! How VAIR interesting and topical!!! )

The sun really streams in and the inner edges are almost bleached white! Those white edges are now at the sides! They'll be good enough for another few years! I'm not one for change. I still love my decor.

Friday, 12 February 2016

This is my anthem today! I'm covering the class. We may or may not do the work left! I shall judge it minute by minute! I've got a cracking headache though so this may not bode well for me and my chatty lot! Individually, they are all brilliant children. Not one of them has any sinister streaks, who are mean or nasty. Not one of my current class could ever be accused of bullying. They really are a good natured lot. They just can be daft. A big bunch of them - daft and last to be quiet. This really winds me up if I let it. When this group of up to 8 are on Planet Silly, everyone suffers! They don't seem to care that they miss play times, golden time etc . Tellings off - water off a ducks back! Infuriating !! ( I'd have the parents in but I'm not the class teacher! )

I have a real 'ahhhhh factor' story here about my boy ( who was perfectly behaved in school ).

Yesterday, in his apprentice role, he accompanied his colleague on a call out to an elderly Rusdian lady's house. They've been before to sort out printers and emails etc. Anyway, while his colleague was fixing whatever it was she'd called them out for, she was talking to Mr 18 about her husband who had died. She was telling him how he was a musician and had written songs for her.

Mr 18, off his own back, sorted out some software and some computer thingy wotsits which enabled her, for the first time, since he died, to hear her husband singing to her.

*pauses for you all to get a tissue and wipe your tears*

Wasn't that just the nicest thing to do for someone! He was made up though because she gave him a tenner! His first tip! He's spending it tonight, on a trip to the cinema with his mates.

Right, my trip to Sainsrobbers was fruitful. If you count the strawberries on the half price cake I bought!

I also bought half price packs of good quality cooked meats - stashed in the freezer for salads and packed lunches. And the haul of the trip...

A great big whopping chunk of prime Aberdeen Angus scotch beef! Down £18.99 to £10.99 ! I snaffled it up and it's currently nestling in the freezer next to the free range Bronze turkey I got for £6 the other week. It will either be slow roasted at Easter or I may leave it till Summer to cook it on the BBQ! I'll get 4 meals easily out of it it's so big! Bargain!

Breakfast today is a marmite butty. Recipe and the ode I wrote to it, above! I might get my class to write some food poems today just for a giggle. I'll get them to make them funny!

Right, I'm going to do a little knitting as I wait for the shower. I'll show you next time. Hope your Friday is marvellous !

Thursday, 11 February 2016

The place where all the boys play tig, run around in circles and slide across the floor on their knees, pausing only to eat eat ALL the hot dogs and the girls huddle together in groups eating sweeties!

Actually, my class, have been THE best dancers ever. The boys danced longer and harder than the girls. The girls were dressed age appropriately and looked gorgeous with their glittery shoes. I was on temperature request control duty. This consists of opening the hall door so an icy arctic blast can cool off the red faced sweaty boys on verge of collapse!

My ears are ringing!

I'm just off now to Sainsrobbers, to see if there are any bargains to be had. I'll let you know if I get any!

Wednesday, 10 February 2016

Came from a cherub in my class, who I'd been nagging er I mean gently encouraging to grip their pen correctly and write neatly. Much whinging went on ( them ), much scathing looks went on ( me ) until said child lifted up their arm and let it flop on the desk.

They declared, over dramatically, in my professional opinion, that they simply could not write anymore.

Why??

" My arm has fainted."

My face!

Other things I have dealt with today included sorting out an incident where one child smacked another child in the face with a pencil case. No one was harmed, and to be fair, the hittee thoroughly deserved it and I was really on the hitter's side! In fact I'd have urged harder thwacking with a larger pencil case!!!

But as is the case, the hittee wasn't even hurt ( where's there's no brains there's no sense my beloved Nanna used to say) but the hitter was punished and was truly admonished!

I often use my secret weapon at school. For certain Angels, I have been known to whack them from here to kingdom come with my imaginary frying pan! It's so heavy, - it's a Le Creuset, I have to hold it with two imaginary hands.

Sometimes I fantasise about holding one cherub by the feet, swinging them round and round in a circle, like an Olympic hammer thrower, and letting go and taking out a row of more cherubs! It's imaginary moments such as these that keep me sane!

Monday, 8 February 2016

An NGT by the way, is something a work chum invented years ago. She deemed it a 'Nasty Get Up'.

Meaning a get up for work is less pleasurable than a weekend or holiday get up!! I've 4 NGTs left ( as I've already got up today ) and then it's half term! Not that I'll lie in and sleep.Always wide awake at 6am!

Six weeks of school gone! I was supposedly supposed to be eating more healthily and *should* be at least 6lbs lighter. This isn't the case! Ah well, let's start again! Today's menu involves a healthy bran flake breakfast, fruit for break, manky veg soup from the freezer for lunch and a yogurt, more fruit for break and I've all the fresh salady stuff bought at the weekend for a lovely crisp whopping salad with baked potato and gammon. We shall see how I get on today! One day at a time!

My weekend was full of lots of things I like.

On Friday night I went out for a meal with work. I was brave. Believe it or not, at my tender age of Eternally 28, I have NEVER ever ever had a Caeser Salad. I've never fancied it. Never made it. Never ordered it. I've never had an anchovy either, despite my Twitter chum Nigel telling me on his telly programmes that they add a depth of flavour to dishes.

Let's just say, I won't be having an anchovy again, much preferring a shallow flavour to my meals!

£10.95 got me a fancy saucer sized plate, delivered to me under a cloche. The cloche was filled with smoke, so that when it was dramatically lifted off by the waitress, my hands and face were instantly scented, for the evening, like my lounge fire when we are burning wet logs. On the plate was lettuce, sliding around in a creamy emulsion. A teeny smoked chicken breast sliced, some (5 tiny ) croutons and two cold soft boiled eggs. I didn't take a photo so you could not see it. I couldn't see any signs of anchovy.

I wish I'd ordered the chicken, leek and ham pie that I was originally going for, but changed my mind because I make it at home and besides, I was going to be A. Sophisticated. Brave. Girl.

We had to wait a while for all of us to get served so by the time everyone's meals had arrived, my short term memory loss had fully kicked in. I started eating. It wasn't delicious. I leaned over to my friend and complained that my lettuce was fishy!!!

She laughed and called me an unprintable name! Gently reminding me about the anchovies!! Ahh they must be in the dressing! Well, it was rank. I'm never ordering that again. Two others had ordered it too. One had asked for no anchovies. The other said, she'd left her anchovies as they were quite big!! I looked at her in horror. The thought of eating slivers of that stinky rotten fish has kept my tummy churning Everytime I think of it!

I should trust myself and what I know. I don't like fish, never have. It's too fishy! I will eat brown shrimp, prawn, tuna, fish fingers and an odd chip shop fish but that is it! Disgusting stuff should stay in the sea!

Next time, I'm having pie!

I started the tapestry! We went to Skipton in the pouring rain on Saturday. It was worth it though, because the HG bought me a tapestry frame that is a roller one. The square frame I'd made from my interlocking frame kit meant that my short stubby arms would struggle greatly! Infact, thinking about it, I'm rather like a T-Rex! Imagine one of those trying to do needlework!

Next I think, I'll be after a frame to stand on the floor. I'm getting more and more Pride and Predjudice by the day. I'll have to make myself a crinoline frock to wear whilst I stitch!

Much rugby has been watched and sworn at! The fantastic 6Nations has begun. While it's been on I've sewed

Also, I've cast on 136 stitches and begun the waist of the HG's jumper. I had to get some new wire needles as I didn't have any of the size I needed and no way would I get all the stitches on my straights. It's going to take me ages!

And as I sit here at 7.26am, in a quiet house, I can hear the faint cries of next door's baby. I've not heard him as yet, they'd planned a home birth - she was 6 days overdue and I rather think Ollie ( they knew he was a boy ) has actually just been born!! There was silence, then *that* sound of a baby crying who has just been born, and all is quiet again! Well done that new Mama X

So I can pass in the little hat I made for him later on! Ahhh it's made me all smiley!

This photo of my ornamental sundial is for Suzanne. It's 14 years old and I can't remember where I got it from, but I wanted something different to sit on my back hearth.

It's about the size of a largish side plate.

Miss 21 is now over halfway through her trip. She sent us a postcard. It took days to get here. That's all. Days.

It's flanked by two of my winter cherished teddies! I went mad for these back in the 90s! Bloody daft dust collectors - but I still get them out from time to time. I've a china cabinet FULL of them! Here are my other four winter ones.

And that's all I've time for now. The bin men are here, it's my 8 O'Clock start and I'm not even dressed yet!!!

Thursday, 4 February 2016

I've just left a comment on 'Life at No. 38's blog about this. It's Royal because there's the need for me to put a 'King' in front of every word!

King WBD is a pain in the King bottom. Poor frazzled parents up and down the land having to make King costumes at a monent's notice ( even though it's March every year!! ). That's the dedicated parents mind, the ones who actually bother to read books with their children.

The reality is most of the children at school come dressed as a Disney Princess or Captain Jack Sparrow. Or whatever costumes Asda are selling. Also, these costumes are flimsy and it's usually freezing on March 2nd. So last year, we really did have a lot of Frozen Elsa's and Ana's!

Some parents go the extra mile. I remember one little soul having an epic temper tantrum one year ( he's now long left and I'm hoping the scars have faded and he doesn't do it to his own children ) because other children were staring at him. He had come as a full on, day-glo orange, green shiny suit, attention to detail incredible Oompa Loompa!

The year after, he came as a bunch of grapes. I kid ye not. I can't even remember the storybook he was from. He had on a purple unitard and attached to him were purple balloons in the classic shape of a bunch of grapes, his face was purple and he wore a green beret with a giant stalk on it. He had an epic temper tantrum because his balloons kept bursting! That poor wee tortured soul!

As staff, we at school are expected to join in the king fun. I generally don't. I'm that kind of rebellious soul. Plus I think it's important to support those children who don't want to dress up, but mostly for those children who do, but whose parents for whatever reasons can't or don't let them join in!

Anyway I have knitting news! Sleeve 1 is complete. Only the back, front, other sleeve and neck to do!!! So far it's taken me

6 hours 38 mins for part 1

7 hours 29mins for part 2

So 14 hours and 7 minutes so far!

The HG might well be long into retirement age by the time it's finished! It's knit on 3.75 needles !!

Tuesday, 2 February 2016

Last night whilst at work, it was very stormy and the sky was amazing! These photos were taken at 5.20pm. Apparently it's a very rare occurrence to see these so called 'mother of pearl' clouds. Something to do with ice crystals 50000 feet high. Or something! It was very pretty but also quite menacing!

These pictures were taken at the back of the school hall.

Look at the gorgeous colours!

Storm clouds are gathering!

Like Aliens are coming!

Then, we looked at the front of the school hall and bizarrely it looked like a hot summer's day, with clear blue sky and white fluffy clouds. It was 5.20pm. The street lights are on.

How weird!!!

And here is at the side of the school hall, where the two skies met.

You can see the distinct line. I've never seen anything like it. Have you?

About Me

I am small,round,squishy and Northern. Quite frankly I cannot believe I'm in my 40s so soon.I can remember sitting in assembly at Junior School being asked the question I wonder what we'd be doing in the year 2000?I recall imaging it would NEVER get here.Gulp.It was over a decade ago.
I love to walk,tweet,knit,read,laze about,watch TV - all of it! cook,bake,garden,spend time with my kids & HG - Hunter Gatherer! We've been engaged for 23years-I'm never sure what to call him now-fiance implies we are to be married!I love Twitter and Blogland. I have extended medical knowledge from years of watching ER FROM THE BEGINNING{and I am still not sure I am over it finishing}.I LOVE my job.I hate all Sofa adverts with a passion - I believe that the DFS sale WILL NOT end when the world does. I love to comment on other people's blogs! A lot!

Welcome one and all. Pull up a chair by the fireside and join in the fun!

It's MY blog and I'll write what I want to, write what I want to, write what I want to - you would write too if it happened to youuuuu!

* PLEASE NOTE the names I use in my stories about mywork are FALSE names. This isto protect the identity of my inspirations.The stories, however are ALL true.*

I love to get feedback and comments and read YOUR experiences linked to my posts! I don't employ the evil that is Capitcha - although of course I do look at them before they are published. Owt nasty won't get in.

If you don't like what you are reading -tough! I would ask that you simply DON'T READ IT.

Here's Harry's Page CLICK THE PHOTO TO ACCESS THE LINK

Harry is my youngest nephew. ( I have six altogether out of ten nieces and nephews ) and not only is he super special because I was the midwife as his birth, but he is super special because even though he is fighting cancer of the eyes - BILATERAL RETINOLBLASTOMA, he is doing it with a huge smile. I l ove him so much, he is squishy, snuggy, adorable and gurgly! Please have a read, donate if you can and SHARE it around xx THANK YOU